IPL 2022: 5 Players who were underutilized by RCB

Royal Challengers Bangalore looked a strong team on paper, having made some big signings in batting, bowling, and all-rounders categories. They also appointed veteran South African batter Faf du Plessis as their new captain just a couple of weeks before the commencement of IPL 2022. With plenty of depth in their squad, RCB were expected to do well this time around. However, the team showcased inconsistent performances in the league stages and were heavily dependent on veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik in the batting department and Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in the bowling. In the end, they had to rely on Mumbai Indians for a playoff berth. In the playoffs, the Bengaluru-based franchise did break the Eliminator jinx with a 14-run win over the Lucknow Super Giants, but a seven-wicket defeat in Qualifier 2 to Rajasthan Royals brought curtains down to their campaign. RCB might have qualified for the top four for a third successive season, but they did not utilize all of their signed players to the fullest. Without further ado, here’s a look at five of them. Sherfane Rutherford Sherfane Rutherford. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford was signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 1 crore at the two-day mega auction in February. Apart from his right-arm fast-medium bowling, the Rutherford is also known for being a handy batter lower down the order and is a proven all-rounder in the shortest format, having the reputation of finishing games with his natural six-hitting abilities. In the three matches that he got in IPL 2022, the Guyanese cricketer scored 33 runs averaging 16.50, and a strike rate of exactly 66 with his highest individual score being 28. However, he failed to make an impression in the wickets column as he didn’t get a chance to bowl. He was then benched for his underwhelming performances and the team management did not show any faith in him for the remainder of the tournament. Finn Allen Finn Allen. (Photo Source: Getty Images) New Zealand sensation Finn Allen was roped in by RCB for INR 80 lakh at the mega auction. The youngster is a versatile top-order batter having a variety of shots in his arsenal and has a strike rate in the excess of 170 in the shortest format. Apart from that, the 22-year-old can also don the wicketkeeper’s gloves if needed. Midway throught the season, it appeared as if he might feature in the playing XI with Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell showcasing inconsistent performances. Nonetheless, the team management showed faith in Maxwell and kept backing him constantly while Allen warmed the bench throughout the tournament. Thus, this was one of the missed opportunities for Bangalore as far as their overseas signings were concerned. Jason Behrendorff Tall Australian pacer Jason Behrendorrf was roped in by RCB for INR 75 lakh at the mega auction. However, he featured in the list of a well-balanced pace attack including the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, David Willey, Siddharth Kaul, and his countryman Josh Hazlewood which meant that he remained on the sidelines due to cut-throat competition. In the middle of the tournament, Harshal Patel had to urgently leave the IPL bio-bubble due to personal reasons, but still, the Aussie pacer did not get a chance to make his RCB debut as the management had to bench one of the overseas recruits. Not only that, Behrendorff was also overlooked when David Willey was benched owing to underwhelming performances with the ball. Mahipal Lomror Mahipal Lomror (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) One of the seasoned IPL players Mahipal Lomror also features in the category of RCB’s most underutilized players in IPL 2022. He was roped in by the franchise for INR 95 lakh and despite being a handy middle-order batter and having proved his mettle for the Rajasthan Royals in the past, he hardly got many opportunities. In the limited chances that he got, Mahipal scored 86 runs from seven outings with his highest score being 42.He averaged 17.20, and had a strike rate of 150.88. The Rajasthan cricketer could have lived up to the expectations by scoring more had, the team management backed him by giving him chances in the middle order when Maxwell struggled in the middle phase. Rajat Patidar Rajat Patidar. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Rajat Patidar needs no introduction after IPL 2022. The Madhya Pradesh cricketer became an overnight sensation courtesy of his blistering 60-ball unbeaten 112 against LSG in the Eliminator and followed it up with a valiant 58 in the Qualifier 2 against RR where RCB’s famed batting line-up failed to perform under pressure along with the wicket being on the slower side. While Patidar did turn out to be Bangalore’s savior in the knockouts, the emerging batter had to patiently wait for his opportunities and only got a chance to show his potential in the second half when RCB’s future in the tournament looked bleak due to their inconsistent performances. It must be noted that the 28-year-old, who went unsold at the mega auction, was roped in as a replacement for the injured Karnataka wicketkeeper-batter Luvnith Sisodia. He finished IPL 2022 as the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s third-highest run-getter with 333 runs from just eight appearances averaging 55.50 and maintaining a thunderous strike rate of 152.75.

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